Locomotive combustion regulator



Apr. w, w23; mmm@ E. T. D. MYERS.' JR

LOCOMOTI VE GOMBUSTION REGULATOR Filed July 22, 1921 @HAM m5 h www.'

Patented Apr. l?, i923.,

EDMUND T. D. MYERS, JR.,

OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IIOCOMOTIVE v COMBUSTION REGULATOR.

Application filed July 22, 1921.

material economy in the use of fuel and water aswell as the abatement of smoke and gas issuing from the stack in localities where, for the time being, extreme steam pressure is not absolutely needed and an excess of smoke and gas from the stack is peculiarly objectionable-such as in tunnels, train sheds and towns.

My invention has for one of its objects, the automatic prevention of excessive and wasteful escape of steam through the usual safety valve, thus saving both fuel and water, and

it is most especially devised for use on mechanically-ined railway locomotives, though useful on steam locomotives of all kinds.

Another object resides in permitting, at the will of the fireman, a reduction of excessive draft to prevent violent breaking up of the bed of the fire and expelling from the stack part of the fuel before it has timey to burn.

Still another object lies in permitting the fireman to abate the draft on the fire when extreme steam pressure is unnecessary for the time being, thus materially reducing the emission of smoke and gas from the stack when pulling through tunnels, train sheds, towns and other localities where such smoke and gas are particularly objectionable and in tunnels have been occasionally fatal.

A further object resides in a construction' which eliminates the present practice oil keeping the firebox door open when the boiler is over steaming with the consequence that sudden chilling of the tubes causes them to leak at the back tube sheet.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of Serial No. 486,912.

illustration one embodiment of the invention Figure l is a side elevation of a modern locomotive in dotted out-line, my invention peing applied thereto and shown by full mes;

Fig. 2 shows the relative position of the small auxiliary pop valve near the dome, the connecting pipes and the regulating globe valves within the cab; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the smokebox showing the level of entrance of the steam pipe thereinto.

Fig. 4L is a sectional view of the auxiliary pop valve 3.

Locomotives are equipped with a spacious compartment forward of and secured to the boiler called the smokeboxf7 into which the fines from the firebox discharge the smoke and gas, and also through a centrally located part of which the exhaust steam from the driving cylinders passes by means of passages converging to a single discharge opening called the exhaust nozzle. This eX haust nozzle is placed somewhat below the bottom of the stack and on the same vertical axis with it. In addition to the natural draft passing in sequence through the grates, the lire, the firebox, the flues, the smokebox and finally the stack, an induced draft is obtained lwhen the driving cylinders are using steam, by the rapid discharge of the jet of the expanding exhaust steam vertically from this exhaust nozzle through a small portion of the smokebox and thence through the stack. This discharge causes a partial vacuum in the smokebox which is i'lled with air rushing through the grates, the lirebox and lines, thus promoting and intensifying the rate of combustion of the fuel.

While a primary object in locomotive design is to cause this combustion to be as rapid as possible when the driving cylinders are-working at or near their maximum capacity, the draft is at times excessive and causes the rate of generation of steam in the boiler to exceed that of its consumption by the cylinders, and the steam pressure in the boiler then reaches the limit of safety and t-he usual pop valve opens and wastes the excess steam to the atmosphere.

It is the object of a careful fireman to keep the boiler pressure nearly up to the safety-valve limit and yet not high enough to cause wasteful discharge, and also in case of light train loads, descent of grades or standing still, to keep the pressure even lower, thus conserving fuel. The firemen are strictly required to use every effort to prevent unnecessary waste at the pop valve and it is well-known that this is difiicult of accomplishment.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention comprises a small pipe 1, preferably one inch inside diameter, connected to the steam dome 2 and provided with a small auxiliary angle pop-valve 3 of any ordinary construction, such for instance as disclosed in the patent to Mc- Carroll #1,437 ,766 of December 5, 1922, and disclosed in Fig. 4 of this application. r1 his valve is set to pop off at a pressure very slightly less than that of the .usual pop-valve (not shown in the drawings), and, therefore, acts in advance of. it. The discharge of steam from the auxiliary p opvalve 3 is conducted by any convenient route through a small pipe 4 to a globe valve 5, which globe valve is placed in the cab within convenient reach of the fireman. From the globe valve 5 the pipe 4 extends to an angle 6, thence to a 'l' 7 and thence, by any convenient route, avoiding existing appliances, to a point 8 on the smolrebox (Fig. 3) where it is tapped into and through the shell or wall of the smolrebox, but need not extend beyond the inner surface of said shell unless preferred. The point of discharge of this pipe into the smokebox may be at any convenient place therein, provided that in the case of a locomotive equipped with a super-heater it should be well below or vbeyond the axis of the superheater damper.

In addition to the pipe 4, there is provided a pipe 9, preferably one-inch inside diameter, fitted with a globe valve 10 placed within the cab near the globe valve 5, and in convenient reach of the fireman, the pipe 9 extending from the T 11 near the dome 2.

1n the operation of the device, the globe valve 10 is normally completely closed and the globe valve 5 normally open to such an extent as may be required. When the boiler pressure reaches an intensity great enough to operate the small auxiliary pop-valve 3, but not quite great enough to operate the usual large pop-valve (not shown in the drawings), steam passes at high pressure through pipe 4 to globe valve 5, which is adjusted by the fireman to reduce or wiredraw the passing stream to suoli quantity as may be required and the steam continues through the T 7 and pipe 4 to point 8 on the smokebox shell, thence through this shell where it expands throughout the interior of the smolrebox and its pressure, owing to this free expansion, becomes very greatly reduced but yet remains sufficient to counteract and lessen, but not destroy, the vacuum. This, of course, moderates the draft on the fire, the boiler pressure falls, the small auxiliary pop-valve 3 closes, further waste of steam is prevented, and the draft on the fire isautomatically and iminediately restored. The pipes 1, 4 and 9 and their fittings are purposely small so that at no time, through the oversight of the fireman or other unforeseen cause, can a suilicient amount of steam pass through them to cause a baclrdraft through flues and tubes to the fire.

Vhen it is desired to reduce the pressure of steam below that at which the auxiliary pop-valve 3 is set, or desired to temporarily reduce the draft when t-he bed of the fire is being violently broken up by the excessive draft, or when the locomotive is passing through tunnels, standing still, or is lightly loaded, or for any other reason, a material reduction in the draft is needed the fireman opens the globe valve 10, thus admitting steam to such reasonable extent as may be desired from the dome directly to the smoke-box independently of the popvalve 3 and the globe valve 5.

JActual tests have amply justified the installation of the present invention on the locomotive if for no other reason than the great saving of fuel. Actual trial has dis closed the fact that when under frequent conditions the auxiliary pop-valve is discharging, the fire has characteristic reddish glow, due to the moderation of draft therethrough. This reddish glow is easily.

distinguished from the bright, white appearance of the fire when under full draft, that is, when the auxiliary pop-valve is not in operation. Hence, by opening the fire door and observing the appearance of the fire the fireman is instantly apprised of the operation of the auxiliary pop-valve and can abate -his rate of firing accordingly. l/Vhen it is realized that at the present time a fireman has no exact idea when the main pop-valve is about to go off, and that, therefore, he necessarily continues to feed the fire until it does go off, the economical feature of the present invention must be appreciated. y

It is obviously within the scope of this invention that any other means for discharging steam from the source of pressure into the smoke box in advance of the discharge of the main pop-valve into the atmosphere may be utilized.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a locomotive combustion regulator, in combination with the smoke box, a source of boiler pressure, a pop-valve connected thereto, means to automatically discharge charge in advance of the main pop-valve, a connection from said auxiliary valve to the smoke boX, pressure reducing means in said connection, a steam by-pass around said connection for discharging steam directly from said device into said smoke box and a hand-operated valve for controlling said by-pass.

In testimony whereof, I aHx my sig- 20 nature.

EDMUND T. D. MYERS, JR. 

